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Topic: Dark Templar (Read 7155 times)

The Dark Templar is a unit from Starcraft II. In that game he is an invisible soldier with a sword that kills everything it touches. You can't touch him unless you have special means of detecting him.

I'm going a step further than simply invisible, because just invisibility doesn't quite cut it in the world of d&d. I want a soldier who can kill everything from the Ethereal plane. Here's what I got:

Classes:If you don't want to rely soley on items to get you to the Ethereal Plane, then you have a couple selections. Ninja and Ghost-Faced Killer can bcome Ethereal a number of rounds per day, and spellcasters can simply cast Ethereal Jaunt. I like Ninja/Ghost-Faced Killer personally.

Gear:Ethereal Reaper: the only weapon that can touch the Material Plane from the Ethereal Plane. It's kind of broken. You can kill whatever you want without them knowing what's happening.Cloak of Etherealness: this cloak offers 100 rounds of being Ethereal per day. Necessary.Etherealness armor enhancement: once per day become Ethereal for any amount of time. Pretty cool, though really optional if you have the cloak.

Other:Not sure. Need your help.

This build is centered around an item, the Ethereal Reaper, but it is so cool. You can be really an sort of class you want (as long as you can wield a sword). The only thing I'm having trouble with is high-level detection. I'm not quite sure how to avoid being seen by high-level detection effects from the Material plane AND from beings on the Ethereal plane. Come to think of it, I don't really have any answers for dealing with other beings on the Ethereal Plane, and I could really use some help making me as invulnerable as possible.

The version of ethereal reaver in Magic Item Compendium is much worse (and not a specific weapon). However, people tell me that Magic Item Compendium items don't override other versions, both are available.

You could actually instead buy a sword made from riverine (Stormwrack). The outer layer of riverine is force, and force effects on the material plane extend into the ethereal plane, so you should be able to wield it just fine.

Transdimensional spell (Complete Arcane) and Transdimensional power (Complete Psionic) should probably also allow attacking from the etheral plane to the material, but the wording assumes you're on the material plane, so that may not be RAW.

If you pay someone to take you to the ethereal plane with plane shift, you don't have to worry about duration, you're there until you plane shift elsewhere. However, you do have to be able to survive indefinitely on the ethereal plane. Warforged and necroplitan make this easy.

Communication with a party could be problematic.

Mind blank blocks all divinations, and you can buy a third eye conceal to get it continuously. Invisibility would hide your sword and prevent other ethereal creatures from noticing you.

The Dark Templar is a unit from Starcraft II. In that game he is an invisible soldier with a sword that kills everything it touches. You can't touch him unless you have special means of detecting him, making him the second most hated and obnoxious unit in sc2, just under the marine and just above the mutalisk.

Fixed that for you. What you really need is a nonstop/at-will etherealness. Like Johnny said above, ghost is your best bet, though you could use ghost-faced killer as a sort of dt-lite.

If you really want the flavor-to-powerlevel correctness, technically a psion into slayer is a good bet. Psionic Etherealness is a 9th level power, marking the training DTs need before they ascend to true Dark Templars, and the powers list would also let you teleport and cloak and all that fun shit that Zeratul is known to do. Plus, that way, you could start off as a lowly zealot-templar, start unlocking your psionic abilities, and work your way up to becoming a DT, which is exactly the same description for SC as DnD...

I still think a ghost would do you best, though; you'd pull this off before 17th/18th level. Hell, get a ghost-psion/slayer, and name your ethereal ghost psicrystal observer!

Plus, that way, you could start off as a lowly zealot-templar, start unlocking your psionic abilities, and work your way up to becoming a DT, which is exactly the same description for SC as DnD...

Since when? Zealots work their way up to high templars. DT are a tribe of their own, with a philosophy that's the complete oposite of zealot/high templars' own, in particular in the fact that the DT separate themselves from the protoss communal link, which is what the zealots/high templar is all about.

Also really, Zeratul may be a 17+ level character. Your average DT is not.

Three Errata for the Mage-kings under the sky,Seven for the Barbarian-lords in their halls of stone,Nine for Mortal Monks doomed to die,One for the Wizard on his dark throneIn the Land of Charop where the Shadows lie.